Sunday, February 7, 2010

MengHai Da-Yi "Yun Xian - Wu Tsi Den Ke" Series - Hao

This is the "Hao" beeng for the MengHai Da-Yi "Yun Xian" Wu Tsi Ke Series - Hao (Tips).

Again,like the previous beeng reviewed, the information for this particular beeng was again scarces. Yet, I do believe what MengHai was going after is showcasing a beeng with a high bud ratio which is obviously implied in the name - yet, you never know with puerh and Chinese translations.

The dry leaf does appear to have a slight higher bud ratio than your average beeng preseciption - but not much. I figured if you were going to showcase a beeng and name it "hao", it would be slightly "whiter", yet this was not the case.

Brewing Session

Method - Gaiwan 100ml

Infusion times

1-15s2-12s3-25s4-40s5-50s6-85s7-85s

Infusions

Aroma

Definitely still a very young tea even after almost 4 years of aging. There were quintessential aroma notes that you would find in a younger example; mostly floral, but almost candy like. There were wafting notes caramelized honey enveloped with a tad of smoke, though not offensive. The aromas were very strong and did not dissipate easily from the aroma cup nor from the brew itself. Wonderful.

In the latter infusions, the sweetness had transformed more into a vegetal quality allowing more of the muskiness to come through - a nice transition which helped to even out the session.

Taste

The liquor very much corresponded with the youth of the aroma. There were notes of rubber, smoke and very much astringent. However, after the 3rd infusion, in a surprising turn, the notes had transformed into a subtle leather and tobacco; interesting indeed. The astringency was still noticeable which is "ok" in a young and potent beeng. However, what concerns me is that after almost 4 years, it still has quite a bite. The acidity was impeccible, which made the liquor lively and bright. When you can get passed the astringency, there is a subtle huigan that in my opinion makes the astrigency worthwhile. The texture of the liquor was quite smooth which is somewhat suprising with its complex brassiness.

Spent Leaves

Ordinary Big Factory Fare

Final Impressions

What a punch! Very potent in all respects. It had a wonderful longevity and could of gone more rounds however decided to cut the session short as I was starting to feel the effects of drinking such a young tea. I assume that this been will age nicely however, if the astringency is still not in check in a couple of years, there may more concern. But I am going to be lenient only because it supposed to be slightly more bitter with its higher bud ratio. All in all, it was a potent brew which certainly lets you experience the strength of puerh. The cha qi was pleasant and short lived.

There are many theories for decaffinating tea. Some research states that tea loses most of its caffeine during the rinse while other suggests that it will not become decaffienated for five minutes. I guess I don't have a direct answer. Frankly, Puerh can be low in caffiene, since green teas generally have a lower content. Sorry I couldn't offer you more advise. Thanks for reading!

What the Heck is Pu-erh Tea?

About Me

Greetings Reader, It's been a wonderful journey since I've discovered the mysterious world of pu-erh tea. My affinity for pu-erh has driven me to create this blog as a creative outlet to share my thoughts, suggestions and reviews to anyone who is interested. I do not consider myself a tea master by any stretch of the imagination, I’m just a guy in Minnesota that loves pu-erh.

Processing Puerh on Nannou Mountain

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Ode To Ancient Tea Horse Road

What is the name of that mountain,
That mountain that lies ahead?
After we pass Changdu,We'll get to Ya'an,
The butter tea of Batang is sweet,
The zanba of Litang so tasty,
After passing Baxiu, Mangkang is at hand.
What is the name of that river,
That river that lies ahead?
After we pass Zhongdian,
We'll be able to get to Lijiang,
Oh my pretty at Dali,
My fragrant tea in Pu'er,
The tea horse road is a long, long one,
It leads you all the way to heaven.
Author Unknown -Translated from Chinese by Chu Daye

If you have any questions on the products that I have reviewed or on anything which you have read, please feel free to email me :)

Disclaimer

The opinions contained here within this site are soley my own. References are given where warrented. Any information contained here within this site are not to be used or replicated without the consent of the author. Thank you for reading!Bill

The Ancient Tea Horse Road

The Ancient Tea Horse Road is a 4000 km route used by ancient tea and horse traders in ancient China. In order for the tea to survive its long journey, ancient tea merchants had developed a preservation method where the tea leaves were steamed and subsequently compressed into bricks for easy transport on horse back. This brick tea is said be the grandfather of today’s modern day Pu-erh.